Michael's Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Carolina Beach

Holy Toledo, I LOVE Michael's Seafood!!! Our D-1 collegiate Bible Study Group was out at the beach for a celebratory vacation. We were looking for a nice bite to eat to top off our fall break trip! We stumbled upon Michael's Seafood! Immediately we were met with a wonderful late night beach ambiance with all of the decor and music which really set the tone and created the perfect atmosphere for late night sea food consumption. No skibbidi had max aura the entire night. Equally as impressive as the atmosphere, was the staff. The Matre'd met our large group with large smiling eyes and quickly met our needs by putting together our table outside to request. Given that we had over 15 people, all of our orders came out relatively quickly. They were delicious and left all of us wanting more. I 9rdered the Seafood roll which is the best bang for your buck quick bite. The last bite was so sweet because it was like falling in love, but tears came later because the experience was over. I also had a bit of the Jamblaya, which was even more amazing. The bits of gator were both scrumptious and exotic. The oysters cooked to perfection and complimented the rice beautifully. Although both of these dishes were hits, the easy winner was the Shrimp and grits. I had audibly moaned at the sensation of the first bite. The spoon leaving my mouth had such a melancholic tone because my heart had longed for more. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and paired nicely with the grits. Compliments to our wonderful server Samantha, she was perfect and met all of our dining needs. This was a birthday that Michael will truly never forget. Next time we come, we will definitely take a stop at Michael's Seafood. I warn you, this is not an experience that should be taken lightly. Come hungry and come expecting to be lifted up and flown on the experience of a lifetime. I highly recommend this place to any...

We went in Wednesday June 11th 2025 around 7:45pm. The ONLY thing good about this place was the clam chowder. (Which we had to wait a really long time for, because I am sure the waitress forgot to put the order in). My partner and I ordered the Swordfish with succotash, and rice. It was ALL horrible. First the succotash had bacon in it, which wasn’t disclosed anywhere. The swordfish was tough and not good at all (had a funny smell), and the rice was overcooked or old. Then to top it all off, the manager came over to check on us, and eventually informed my partner she should have let the waitress know of her “pork allergy” prior to ordering. First, she did not have an allergy, she just doesn’t eat pork. Secondly, the manager needs to learn that the “CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT”. And lastly, succotash is a vegetable dish. It would be wise to label it as having bacon on the menu honestly. But no big deal to send it back, but certainly didn’t need a lesson on how to order food from the manager. The manager could have simply said he was sorry, and made sure our newly ordered food came out quickly. We had decided to get another bowl of chowder and snow crab legs, and the snow crab legs were par at best. So overall, the food was terrible, and the manager was terrible as well. He was rude and combative, which is the fault of upper management/ownership, as this guy was young and untrained/disrespectful, and as a result, didn’t have a clue.

Just get the chowder….The idea of “grilling” fish and then broiling it seems suspect. Likely the fish is grilled “not to order” and then when someone orders it, then it is broiled. There is likely a holding time from the time it is grilled to the broiling. Maybe I am wrong, but there certainly was a reason the fish was tough and felt...

Let me tell ya somethin’ — as a Midwest dude raised on casseroles, corn-fed beef, and the occasional deep-fried mystery at the county fair, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I walked into Michael’s Seafood in Carolina Beach. But sweet land of lakes and lutefisk, this place blew my flannel right off.

First of all, the service? Friendlier than a church potluck. Our server greeted us with a smile that could melt a snow drift in February and kept the sweet tea full like she was training for the Olympics. Gold medal, ma’am.

Now let’s talk about the food. I got the crab legs, and let me just say — if butter is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. Cracked those bad boys open like I was born on a shrimp boat. My wife ordered the shrimp and grits, and I swear I saw her soul leave her body for a second — just floated up in pure Southern joy and came back down with a new appreciation for seafood.

And the chowder? LORD. It’s won awards, and I now understand why. I’d fight a bear for another bowl. Not a big bear, maybe like a medium one. But still.

The atmosphere is beachy without tryin’ too hard. It’s laid-back, like if Jimmy Buffett and your fishing uncle opened a restaurant together and actually knew how to cook.

Bottom line — if you’re anywhere near Carolina Beach and don’t stop at Michael’s Seafood, we probably can’t be friends. This place is a little slice of ocean-side heaven, even for a landlocked lad like me.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go Google if they ship crab legs to...